Shattered Wings
by Grey Lord
Summary: In the calm just after the SandSound invasion, Naruto has lost two of his precious people, and knows that he must leave Konoha. Will he find love in the ashes of his old life? Or will he never know peace? Naruto x eventual Inuzuka Hana. hiatus
1. Chapter 1

ScionofKyuubi here with a challenge fic! Yes, I know you're all reading my NaruIno fic and screaming at me: FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED! Well, don't crucify me just yet, this fic is a challenge for one of my readers! And I never back down from a challenge. I'm not going to spill what the pairing is, but my readers will know that my fics will always be unusual pairings (except for my Teen Titans oneshot and other fic, after all, BBRae is just too perfect to mess with). Naruto is the main character, and believe it or not, this will involve ROMANCE. Yes, I know most guys don't write romance, but hey, I'm a sappy romantic at heart. And so, with that out of the way, I give you my first ever challenge fic. And believe it or not, it's going to be a multi-chapter! It's also AU. I've decided that Sasuke and Sakura will have to die for this fic. Not to mention that I have too hard of a time writing the icy bastard's character, and Sakura strikes me as too much of the rabid fangirl type. I don't hate Sakura, but yes, I do hate Sasuke.

Disclaimer: Yes, I own Naruto. I murdered Kishimoto-sama, took on his appearance, and now I'm writing _Naruto_. Happy, you vultures?

Summary: In the calm just after the Sand-Sound invasion, Naruto has lost two of his precious people, and knows that he must leave Konoha. Will he find love in the ashes of his old life? Or will he never know peace? Naruto x (?) I'll e-mail you the next chapter before I post it if you can guess! Hint: It is not Hinata, Sakura, or Ino. AND IT WILL NEVER BE YAOI! Remember to review!

Home 

By ScionOfKyuubi

It was a beautiful spring day in Konoha.

Well, not really.

Uzumaki Naruto stood in the pouring rain in training groud thirteen. The training ground had been abandoned long ago, considered unlucky, since the last person to use it was now dead. Naruto didn't care; it had become his haven for the times when it hurt too much to keep up his mask of happiness; when the hateful glares of the villagers became too much.

And now he stood here to mourn.

His friend.

His rival.

His brother.

Sasuke. He'd always been there, sneering at Naruto, calling him names. But in truth, he'd always seen Naruto as a rival. His only ambition to kill his brother for murdering his clan, Naruto knew, would never be his. Orochimaru had killed him with a kunai to the heart.

He was gone.

Naruto began to weep as he remembered his first love.

Sakura. After learning that the Snake Sannin had killed Sasuke, she'd said goodbye to all of them.

They'd found her the next morning at their meeting place on the bridge, lying in the sun with a bloody kunai in her limp hands.

She'd been smiling as she died, and were it not for the blood staining her cherry-blossom hair, and the massive wounds across her wrists, she could have been sleeping. Her note had read:

_To all of my friends, and to Kakashi-sensei, and to Tsunade-shishou:_

_I'm sorry to make all of you go through this, but I can't live without Sasuke-kun. Naruto, I didn't do this to hurt you, but to me, Sasuke-kun was everything._

_Perhaps someday we'll meet again._

_Forever yours;_

Sakura 

**Kit?**

Kyuubi?

**I just wanted to tell you…I'm sorry. You've seen more pain and heartbreak in your lifetime than anyone I've ever had to meet. If it's any consolation at all, I'll always be here for you.**

Just a minute, Kyuubi. I think we need to have a face-to-face talk.

…**All right, Kit.**

Naruto began to meditate, going to the dank corridors of his mind. With a splash, he arrived in his mind.

_I see the décor hasn't changed._

Naruto began to walk. He didn't know how long he walked, or how far. Eventually he reached the massive central room that held his most private secret.

His inner demon.

When he got there, Naruto decided that he no longer needed to fear the greatest of demons. He concentrated, sending his will into every crevice of the room. At his unspoken command, the dank, musty, pipe-filled room transformed, becoming a lush, rich meadow filled with sakura trees and wildflowers. Kyuubi poofed into existence, looking completely shell-shocked. The fox's massive head swiveled like it was on a spring, taking in the brand-new surroundings in his vessel's mind.

…**Kit?**

What is it, Kyuubi? 

**Why did you change this room? I'm not complaining, but…**

_Because I trust you. You're one of the few things that will never go away in my life. You'll probably be the last thing I still have when I die. I have always wondered, are you a guy, or a girl?_

**I'm a female fox demon. I guess your great Yondaime wasn't aware of that when he locked me in here. But, Naruto, I think it's an advantage. It allows me to see you as a kit, like you are one of my own cubs.**

Thank you. I also have a question. You've always been there for me. Can I call you Kaa-san? 

The greatest fox demon in history was left speechless. Here was one she would always care for. However, why didn't he hate her? If it weren't for her, he'd have a normal life. He'd have friends, and parents. Deciding that her massive form was now officially stupid, she transformed.

Naruto watched with trepidation as Kyuubi began to shift her form. He knew she could do that, but this looked like she was shrinking. After a few minutes, it was done.

Where once had stood a ninety-foot-tall fox was now a woman in a white kimono and a red _obi_. Her hair was crimson, but her eyes had not changed at all. She had furry fox-ears on top of her head, and nine crimson tails waved behind her. She carefully walked over to Naruto and pulled him into a gentle, warm, and loving embrace.

**You can always call me Kaa-san, my kit.**

Chapter One END

Yeah, it's super-mega-fluffiness, and I love it. Does anyonre think they can draw this hug between Naruto and human-form Kyuubi?

Remember that I need reviews to keep going. Throw me ideas, flames, anything.

Next chapter, Naruto leaves Konoha, and has an ANBU escort. He goes to Wave Country to inform them of the deaths of Sasuke and Sakura. After that, Naruto travels to Sunagakure…

Ja Ne!

ScionOfKyuubi


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, it's me again, officially writing with a collapsed lung. Damn, it sucks, but these ideas won't go away. Anyway, this is going to be a longer-than-usual A/N, cuz I'm gonna list all of the incredible reviewers and if I don't mention you, I forgot, but I still love you all.

ALL RIGHT PEOPLE, THE PAIRING IS NARUTO/INUZUKA HANA! This is the only story with this pairing! Rock on! W00T!

**Tirzah, Dark Goddess**- one of the first people to read my fics, and yes, you guessed the pairing. I'm not going to recount the running from fangirls, but I'll send that to you. And about this story, yes, it's your fic idea! Cheers! Um, you'll need to send your e-mail address so I can send you chapter three.

**Lin Waddell**- another of my most awesome reviewers, and thank you for the feedback and support.

**LBCLostKid- **pairings: wrong, wrong, and wrong. Tee hee! See above.

**GothicKacie**-don't worry, Kakashi will have someone. Thank you for the feedback and support. And please do try the piccy!

**IceCreamMakingGuy**-sorry, keep guessing. Oh, and it's not an OC. And thank you.

**the young and mysterious nobody**- thank you, and p to you, too.

**JohnnyG**-thank you, and thanks for the feedback. And now explaining Sasuke's death:

Orochimaru knew that Sasuke would inevitably leave before he could use him as a vessel. He also knew that Sasuke was not the only Sharingan user. Itachi's still alive. So he decides that if he can't have Sasuke, no one will, and he kills him. Since Sasuke died during the invasion, this means it's all AU from here on out. The village views him as a hero for attacking the Sannin, and yadda, yadda, yadda. The fight at the Valley of the End never happened. And yeah, I'm working on the Naru/Kyuu thing. Sankyu!

Naruto and Jiraiya have already retrieved Tsunade

Now, I'd like to use this space to announce that I hereby dedicate this fic to my awesome reviewer **Tirzah, Dark Goddess**! Bask in her awesomeness!

Disclaimer: I am not rich. Therefore, I do not own _Naruto_.

Home 

By ScionOfKyuubi

Tsunade sat at her desk. Jiraiya had never said any of the Rookie 9 was suicidal. Now, because of the Sound-Sand invasion, Konoha had lost the last remaining Uchiha.

Because of that, her apprentice had killed herself.

_Damn you, Orochimaru. Damn you to hell for all the pain you've caused this village. If you hadn't left Konoha…_

Tsunade shook her head sadly. It was a pity; the girl could have been an incredible medic-nin. She had also been the best friend her adopted brother had. He hadn't even been seen since Sakura's death. He'd often yelled loudly that he'd win her heart.

Now he couldn't.

Tsunade sighed and reached for the intercom button on her desk. Before her fingers reached it, her door flew open with a crash, and a dog-masked ANBU stumbled in, holding a ragged figure in her arms.

"Hokage-sama! I found the Uzumaki boy on training ground thirteen. He was lying unconscious in the rain. I don't know how long he was there, but his body is freezing and his lips are turning blue."

"SHIT! This is hypothermia, but how, Naruto's never sick, he can't get…"

"Should I take him to the hospital, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes…No, take him directly to the Emergency Room in Konoha Hospital. I'll meet you there."

The ANBU nodded, taking off for the hospital at top speed, still cradling the freezing fox-boy. She heard a crash and whipped her head around to see Tsunade send the doors of the Hokage tower flying, and sprint after her.

In no time at all, the Godaime Hokage had caught up to the ANBU and began bombarding her with questions. "When did you find him? Was he alone? Did you come straight to the tower? And just who the hell are you, anyway?"

The canine-masked ANBU sighed. She began to explain; "I found him less than eight minutes ago at training ground thirteen. He was lying in the mud, and I could not sense any chakra signatures around him for nearly half a mile. Upon finding him, I performed several diagnostic jutsus that told me his body temperature was getting dangerously low. He wasn't wearing a coat, and his shirt was shredded. After making sure he was not injured in any other ways, I picked him up and began to sprint for the Hokage tower. As for my identity, my name is Inuzuka Hana." At this, the ANBU removed her mask, revealing chin-length brown hair, high cheekbones marked with the Inuzuka tattoos, and piercing green eyes. Tsunade nodded, then asked, "If you are an Inuzuka, where is your canine partner?"

Hana winced, as though remembering something unpleasant. She squared her shoulders. "Kuromaru was injured on my last mission, which ended yesterday. He needs the time to recuperate from his injuries, so I left him at the estate. Just wondering, Hokage-sama, and I don't mean any disrespect, but why are you so protective of the boy?"

Tsunade straightened proudly. She loved telling this story to people who didn't know Naruto…

At the hospital 

"So Naruto learned and mastered an S-ranked jutsu in a week, and then defeated an A-ranked missing-nin with it?"

"Yep. And he did it to protect me." Tsunade loved people's expressions when they found this out. It really was priceless. And Inuzuka Hana was no exception. Her jaw was hanging so low, Tsunade was afraid it might have broken off.

"Wow. That's just…wow." Hana shifted her grip on the freezing teenager in her arms, seeing the village prankster in a new light. He was a determined, wonderful shinobi who had come in front of a lethal attack to protect someone. That alone was enough to set him apart in Hana's book. Not everyone had that kind of courage.

"I also gave him a necklace."

"Huh?"

"Specifically, it's a necklace owned by my grandfather, the First Hokage. After that, he gave it to me. It's sometimes believed to be cursed, since so far, Naruto and I have been the only people the necklace has served. It's traditionally worn by the Hokage. It's supposedly worth enough _ryo_ to buy several hidden villages."

Hana's shock had faded away. Something was niggling at the back of her head. An S-ranked wind jutsu…why did that sound familiar? Then it hit her like a speeding kunai. "Hold it, the only S-ranked wind jutsu in existence is the…"

"Yes, it was the Rasengan. The ultimate attack of the Yondaime Hokage, Kazama Arashi…the father of Uzumaki Naruto."

With that, Inuzuka Hana's poor brain had finally been shocked too many times. So she did the only thing she could do without fainting.

"I think I need to sit down, before I fall down."

Tsunade smiled wickedly. "Oh, by the way, Hana, everything I just told you is an A-ranked village secret. So unfortunately, you're not allowed to tell anyone. Except for the part about Naruto's parents. That's S-ranked, punishable by death."

Hana's eyes widened. "Why would you keep the names of Naruto's parents a secret? Naruto deserves to know that, doesn't he?" she inquired.

"Simple. He'd be the target of many more assassination attempts than he already is. And Kami knows that his mental state is unstable enough as it is."

"Hold it. Two questions, Tsunade-sama. What do you mean, more than it already is? And who on Earth would want to kill such a nice kid?"

Oh, this was going to suck. "Well, Naruto has lived his entire life with the entire village hating him. I can't tell you why, because I'm fairly certain you weren't alive, but it deals with a blonde-haired baby, a forbidden seal, and a fox demon older than the elemental countries. You figure it out. I only ask that you remember that he holds it back with the power of his will… and he's been holding it back since he was two days old. In face of the hate, the glares, the insults, the beatings, he still protects the selfish people of this village. And I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that he will become the Sixth Hokage. After all, the decision is ultimately up to yours truly."

With this information in her mind, Inuzuka Hana turned to the bundled-up form of the blonde shinobi, lying in a hospital bed, and did something that blew Tsunade's expectations out of the water. She whispered in his ear "You'll always be a hero to me, Naruto, for all of the things you've done for this village, for protecting the very people who hate you, and for never giving up… When anyone else would have shattered under the pressure, you smiled through it all; you never gave up…Thank you for being so strong. Arigatou, Naruto-kun…" and with that she kissed the fox vessel gently on his now-bare forehead. She reached for the nearby nightstand, picked up the blonde's forehead protector, and gently tied it onto his head where she had kissed him. She then turned to the dumbstruck Godaime and gave her a fanged smile. "Never underestimate the ability of an Inuzuka to recognize talent and power, Hokage-sama… or to see the goodness of a person's soul…now if you'll excuse me, I need to deliver my report to the ANBU Captain, and then I'll be back…" And with that cheeky remark, the dog-controlling kunoichi turned and hopped out the window and began to run along the rooftops of the village. Tsunade smiled, still a bit shocked, and thought, _Naruto; it looks like things are going to VERY interesting when you wake up_…

Naruto's mind 

Naruto and Kyuubi had been holding each other for a couple of minutes when Kyuubi felt something wet on the shoulder of her kimono. She looked at Naruto, and saw streaks of water on his face. Curious, she reached out and touched the wet spots, then brought it to her nose and sniffed. Salty…what was this water? Hmm…wait. She'd seen this water before, on the face of the one who had sealed her, as he was performing the jutsu, holding his son. She quietly asked Naruto, "Kit? What's this water on your face?" She waited while Naruto processed this, and heard him chuckle sadly. "They're called tears, Kaa-san. It's how humans show pain, suffering, or loss. I just realized just how much I have truly lost. I've failed my nindo. I failed my village by not protecting all those shinobi who died. But worst of all, Kaa-san… I've lost two of my precious people, and I was too weak to stop Sasuke from dying. I was too weak to stop Sakura-chan from committing suicide. I failed, Kaa-san… I'm weak…"

Kyuubi's mind whirled. What had happened to the cheerful, boasting boy who had cried to the heavens his dreams of becoming Hokage? Who was this somber, depressed young man? Where was her kit?

"Have you ever lost someone, Kaa-san?"

"Wh-What?"

"Did you ever lose someone who was precious to you?"

"Once… It was why I attacked your village, actually… A man named Orochimaru had the nerve to think he could summon me. Well, he did, but when he did, he also summoned my mate and my newborn kit. He then had my mate killed, and then he slaughtered my child. I couldn't stop him…he used some damned chakra-freezing jutsu… He forced me to watch my child bleed to death. I was helpless. When the jutsu wore off…I went berserk. I attacked the closest human village I could find…your village. The next thing I know, I woke up in that cage. And we all know what happened then, don't we, kit?"

Naruto was stunned, then angry. Did Orochimaru cause all of the problems in this damned world? "Kaa-san, I swear by my nindo that I will avenge your kit and mate, I will avenge Sasuke, and Sakura, and everyone the snake bastard has ever killed. This is my solemn vow, my new ambition, Kaa-san. I will kill Orochimaru."

Kyuubi smiled. So like his father, indeed…

"Then you will need to become much stronger, kit. There is a limit to what you can do with just my strength alone, and I'd say you've nearly reached it. When you wake up, tell your Hokage that we need to leave on a training trip. I'd say we'll be gone…three years."

"NANI? THREE YEARS! WHAT THE HELL COULD POSSIBLY TAKE THREE YEARS TO LEARN, KAA-SAN?"

Kyuubi smirked. _There_ was the Naruto everyone knew and loved. The hyperactive loudmouth blonde that was capable of defeating anything he had to.

"Don't yell. Yes, we're going to take three years. I don't know how much training you'll need. Plus, neither of us knows where we're going. Any ideas, kit?"

Naruto looked stumped, and then brightened. "I know! We can go to Wave country. Remember how Zabuza gave me his sword before he died? We could go and pick it up. And while we're there, we can visit their graves. After that…I don't know. We'll figure something out."

Kyuubi smiled sadly. "Well then, kit, we'll have to say good-bye for now. I think it's about time for you to open your eyes…I'll see you soon." With that bittersweet thought, Naruto disappeared from his mind, leaving Kyuubi to wander the massive mindscape he'd built for her.

Normal POV 

Hana hopped back through the window, sliding it shut behind her. Her mask was firmly back in place; the ANBU Captain, for removing it in public, had chewed her out again. She saw Naruto still lying on the bed. He hadn't moved from his position on the hospital bed, but he looked a hell of a lot better. If she didn't know better, she'd swear that any minute now he was going to sit up and start yelling out loud again. Heh. Yeah right. He'd be in bed for at least another week. Hypothermia wasn't so easily defeated…

Of course, Naruto wasn't the most unpredictable shinobi in Konoha for nothing. So when he leaped out of bed and clung to the ceiling with chakra, Hana's jaw nearly fell off. She then saw what Naruto was after. Tsunade had fallen asleep, and Naruto was just out of range of her fist. She winced, and covered her sensitive ears before Naruto started yelling.

"HEYA, BAA-CHAN! WAKE UP!"

Tsunade shot out of her chair, looking for all the world like she was going to knock Naruto into next Thursday. But when she realized that Naruto was awake, and manipulating chakra no less, she ripped him off the ceiling and pulled him into a spine-annihilating embrace. He yelped loudly, feeling several of the bones in his ribcage and lower back beginning popping out of place.

"Baa-chan---you're---crushing---my---spleen…" Naruto managed to gasp out, feeling blackness closing in on his mind as he neared unconsciousness from lack of oxygen. Tsunade immediately released him, and then proceeded to smash Naruto through the door.

"IDIOT! You scared the life out of me! Not to mention you nearly died from hypothermia! Stupid brat!"

Naruto gave a nervous laugh, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. He gave a slightly frightened smile to the Fifth Hokage. It was only then that he noticed the ANBU in the room. He yelped, sliding into a battle stance. "Baa-chan, look out! There's a masked ninja behind you!"

"BAKA! She's an ANBU, you idiot! She was the one making sure none of the villagers decided to try and kill you while you were unconscious! Show some gratitude!"

"Hehe…Gomen, I didn't know you were an ANBU…umm, what's your name?"

Hana smiled, removing her mask. She gave the blonde ninja a short bow, and said, "Greetings, Uzumaki-san. My name is Inuzuka Hana."

"Inuzuka…Oh! Do you know that blockhead Kiba?"

She laughed. This boy was very different from the ANBU she was used to. They were all so morose. He was like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. "As a matter of fact, 'that blockhead' is my younger brother." She grinned wolfishly as Naruto blanched, realizing he'd inadvertently insulted this ANBU girl. She laughed again as he began to stutter out an apology. She held up a hand, stemming the torrent of words attempting to fly out of Naruto's mouth. "Don't worry, Uzumaki-san. I actually agree. Kiba is a blockhead." She laughed yet again as she saw his priceless look of utter shock.

Naruto began to chuckle with her, laughing quietly with her, then finally breaking out into hysterics. It took them a few minutes to calm down, but when they did, Naruto's face fell. Puzzled, Hana looked harder, and listened as Naruto turned and began to speak with Tsunade.

"Um, baa-chan, I want to leave the village."

"Nani?" Tsunade whispered. "Why? I thought you liked it here. You'd leave again?"

"Are you seriously asking that?" Naruto asked sadly. "I intend to come back, baa-chan. Think of it as a training trip."

"Well, okay. How long will you be gone?"

"No more than three years. I'll come back, baa-chan."

"Alright. Naruto Uzumaki, I hereby assign to the A-ranked mission: Get strong enough to inherit the title of Rokudaime Hokage. You better come back in one piece, brat."

"Um, Hokage-sama, shinobi are forbidden to take on A-rank missions alone. There have to be at least two ninja on those missions."

"You're right. So I hereby assign Inuzuka Hana to escort Uzumaki Naruto on his A-rank mission. You leave tomorrow. Be safe."

"Thanks, baa-chan. I swear I will become strong. I need to go get ready… see you in the morning."

"I do as well, Hokage-sama. Farewell."

Tsunade smiled sadly. So two wonderful shinobi would leave her village tomorrow. She sighed, and began to walk to her office to fill out the necessary paperwork for an A-rank mission.

Chapter Two END

OMFG, I finally wrote something longer than two pages! And no, Naruto had absolutely no idea who Hana was. Cookies for the three reviewers who correctly guessed the pairing of Naruto/Inuzuka Hana. Put your e-mails up cuz you get to read each chapter early! Since I have no idea what Hana looks like, I decided to just make up her appearance. Hope no one minds. Review please!

Ja Ne!

ScionOfKyuubi


	3. AN

Hello everyone.

I hate to disappoint everyone but this isn't a new chapter; it's the announcement that I'm changing my penname. I just wanted to warn everyone.

As for my fics, I will update, but my hand isn't healing very well, and my wrist is just being stupid. I've also discovered a newfound love for the pairing HarryPotterRowenaRavenclaw. Go ahead and laugh…

Give me feedback for my new name!

Ja Ne!

Ravenclaw's Fox


	4. NOT A NEW CHAPTER, PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!

Hello, everyone.

This is Dark Lord Kitsune. I have some news for you., which will probably result in you hating me.

After spending a lot of thought and pain (literally, due to injuries), I am sorry to report that I have stopped writing **_NEW_** fanfiction. I will attempt to continue Wings and Precious, Not sure about Rose, but I doubt it.

Signing off for now,

Dark Lord Kitsune.


End file.
